Health Care Mergers and Acquisitions: A Strategic Guide for Marketers
Daniel Fell, senior vice president, Health, BVK
Hospital and health system mergers are nothing new or unusual for anyone who has been around health care for any length of time. Following a wave of consolidation in the early- and mid-1990s, there were 1,573 hospital mergers from 1998 to 2017, and another 428 hospital and health system mergers announced from 2018 to 2023, according to KFF, an independent source for health policy research.
Following a slight decline during and after the pandemic, hospital mergers and acquisitions (M&A) have picked up again. Industry publications have heralded 2025 as the year of health care mergers, or at least suggested they are back on track and moving full steam ahead. Many health care executives seem to agree.
In a 2023 brief, the American Hospital Association even declared that “one of the most important tools that hospitals can use to increase access and quality of care and manage risk and financial pressures is mergers and acquisitions.”
Marketers and strategists play a vital role in the success of mergers and acquisitions. Their involvement includes clarifying the alignment between the merging entities, defining clear business objectives, and adhering to a strategic roadmap grounded in extensive data, deep insights, thorough competitive analysis, robust scenario planning, and innovative thinking.
In this article, Danny Fell explores the current state of health care mergers and acquisitions and provides an actionable playbook for marketers and strategists.
Read the full article here: Old-School M&A Is Out; New Collaborations Are In
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